Anybody ever use all metal body filler?

Yeah i was told that once it sets up, you have grind it just as you would metal.

 

Files, sands and feather edges like lead.
Spreads smooth as butter.
You can add resin and make it spread even smoother, tighter and thinner for skim coat.
Adjust the amount of hardner and that effects cure time. Couple mins to 30 mins plus.
It costs more, but I find there's less waist. Not enough to even it out, it still costs more.

I like everything about it except it clogs the paper , but since it spreads so nice there's not
as much Sanding.

 

Stuff is garbage as far as I'm concerned. I've seen it fail far more than regular body filler. Bitch to work, with no advantage. It has nothing in common with lead. Good metal work, use a quality filler, and your work will outlast you.

 

I don't know about garbage , but I don't care for it either and I would rather use rage for the total coating but not both on the same project. It seems you are asking for a problem mixing products.

 

YA my son and I did this chop used all metal on all welds great product wish I had stock in that product. also alumi lead another simular product tht works great.

 

I gave it a good try and i think it'll take about 20yrs before i'll know how it worked. Other than cost the problem i had was getting the stuff thoroughly mixed! I don't know why, but one more than one occasion i would load my spreader and see raw material and i'd have to start over. For that reason i've never used it since.

 

Thae company that makes rage also makes there verson.
just fyi

 

Oj, I'm curious as to how or what you saw that was "raw material" ?
The hardner for USC ALL-METAL is a nearly clear liquid with an Orange tint. I had a hard time seeing any difference what so ever in the material after it was mixed. It would be difficult to tell if it mixed or not but but the hardner flows right thru it.


I'm wondering if you used red, blue, white cream hardner.

 

I've used it , like it but do make sure that you get the lid sealed tight when your done. If it gets a little dry, its hard to get it to come back by adding a little more resin. One thing is for sure it has its own distinct smell.

 

I love that shit ,it works great when you dont have the time to lead over a panel

 

What's typical retail for a can?

 

$25.00 QT. Semi local to USC here.
USC has it in gallons too on there web site.

 

i have used a ton of it, we got a bad batch once and all the cans were solid halfway down.

the only problem i have had with it personally is the liquid harder offers no color change when mixing, and being a liquid, i found it very difficult to judge exactly how much hardener i was using each time i mixed it, so cure times were all over the place.

but it does a good job on seams, alot like lead, MUCH harder to sand than rage.

 

When some of yall say "add resin to it". Do you mean fiberglass resin.

 

Yes, polyester based fiberglass resin.

 

so how thick can it be applied??? the all metal page said 1/4 inch. But can you use it for molding fenders after welding or peaking a hood with 1/4 inch rod. will it hold up???

 

Is call the tech department and ask. They make all kinds of stuff if the all metal can't do what you want.

http://www.uschem.com/index.cfm?page=contact

 

I used it on a truck that has been sitting outside for 8 years and no bodywork has popped out. I usually would use it on body repairs below the beltline as it works well with rust repairs and avoids moisture. It's a bitch to work with but is really just for the first coat. I would use it again.

 

great stuff, I have been using it for years.

 

I really like it but only use it to seal welds etc and put regular plastic filler over the top of it. Really hard to sand and shape. Have a couple of cars that we did body work on 20 years ago and they still look great.

 

Would you guys say that it is best to wait till it sets up and then hit it with a flap disc? and how long should you let it sit before doing this? Also, How long should you wait before applying a top skim coat of regular filler over it?

 

I may have to check this stuff out.

 

This is the biggest cause of failure on any catalyzed filler product. You should ALWAYS try and get the right amount of hardener in your product and adjust your work times and amounts you mix based on that. I know guys sometimes don't have much choice but if you are under or over catalyzing these types of products to vary your work times by 20-25 minutes you are eventually going to have problem.

Guys wouldn't do this with paint but for some reason it has become acceptable with fillers but the end results are the same as if you under/over catalyzed paint to make it faster or slower.

 

So what would you say is a good filler to harder ratio to use on a small area? and again, how long would you let it set up before trying to sand it, and is it better to use a flap disc to shape?

I am looking to cover up spot welds on the lip of my rear wheel well and a couple of small emblem holes.

 

I have never used USC All-Metal but I would assume it is the same as all other catalyzed polyester fillers which is 2% hardener by weight or a 50:1 mix ratio. They should list the amounts on the can or on their website. With liquid hardener that usually means about 12 drops to a golfball size amount of All Metal.

Let is dry to the touch to sand and you definitley would want to use some type of power sander as it will take forever by hand. It can be recovered at any time after it is sanded.

 

The published ratio for hardner is 12 drops per golf ball. My drops were smaller than the other guys so my hang times were longer. Still 12 drops . If you get 2-3 drops that sneak out and you don't know about till that batch kicks off on the mixing board. Temp makes a big difference on the time .

Biggest thing with all metal is mixing it, when you think you've mixed it enough mix it some more.

I wouldn't condone varying hardner ratios very far from the norm but not one batch of filler has ever been scientifically and accurately measured in any shop or garage that I know of. Few scoops and and a ribin, or in this case several drops..

 

Yes....good stuff!
A few years ago I restored a 66' El Camino, front and rear glass had rot. I removed the Windshield first, then all the bondo from the last hacker. I cut out the rot and welded in small pieces of metal to cover the holes. The corners took a little longer but after I was finished it looked great. I still needed something to smooth it with, so I used (As before) All Metal. I did the same on the back window and replaced all the mldgs.
I recently yanked a molding, and everything looks like it was applied the week before!
Buy an extra tube of activator, I usually needed it!

 

I always used Marglass over welds because it was moisture resistant. Never thought aluminum in contact with steel would be a good thing (corrosion). But, if it works, it works.

 

You can do this with regular filler also since the main ingredient between filler and fiberglass resin is the same. Just add a bit more hardener. It makes regular filler like Rage, real smooth!!!

 

Before this thread goes away, I'd like to make a sort of historical reference -- and, perhaps, ask a question.

40 years ago, I loved a trowelable, aluminum-powder product that could be toweled straight out of the can, without any hardener. I can't remember the product name, but it was made by a company called MAGIC METAL of Cleveland. It looked like liquid aluminum and hardened up like iron. You could hit it with a hammer and not knock it loose. It had a very industrial smell until it cured; unlike polyester, more like some petroleum derivative. Positively beat plastic bondo to pieces.

I was NEVER able it find it after about 1974. Anybody else remember it?